Sidney won’t go Europe with MSU, stays in Houston

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Renardo Sidney will not travel with Mississippi State’s basketball team on its five-game European exhibition trip, opting to return to Houston and work out with former NBA player John Lucas.

Sidney, a 6-foot-10 forward, is expected to return to campus by mid-August to rejoin the Bulldogs for preseason workouts, according to a statement released by coach Rick Stansbury.

Sidney averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds last season in 19 games, but struggled off the court, with two suspensions for bad behavior, including one following a fight with a teammate at a tournament in Hawaii.

Teams are allowed to make overseas trips every four years. Mississippi State will play in the Netherlands, Belgium and France during the five-game trip.